


Reckless Behavior

by xlightless



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Pining, abigail falls for the local lesbian farmer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 10:29:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9436160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xlightless/pseuds/xlightless
Summary: Abigail is an adult with something to prove. The new farmer is bored. They need, they want, and a fake relationship is apparently the solution to their problems. They just hope it doesn’t blow up in their faces.





	

Riley comes into Stardew Valley with barely anything to her name. Just a pocketful of gold, a backpack of clothes, and an abandoned farm with overgrown plants in the fields.

A woman with bright red hair greets Riley at the bus stop. She stares at Robin, the initial shock still on her face.

“Hello!” she says with a strained smile. “You must be Riley.”

“Yes,” Riley replies as she steps off the bus. The doors close behind her and the bus rolls away through the tunnel, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Riley coughs and holds out her hand to the woman. “It’s nice to meet you… Um…”

The woman shakes Riley’s hand. There are rough callouses on her palms and fingers, hardened and peeling. “I’m Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He’s there right now, tidying things up for your arrival. The farm’s right over here, if you’ll follow me.”

Robin turns around, leading Riley down a dirt path. She looks up at the blue sky, breathing in the fresh air. She’s grown so used to the smog-lined horizons and polluted city air that she forgot how purifying the countryside could be. She could get used to this.

//

Introductions aren’t Riley’s forte, but she makes an attempt anyway. After she waters her growing crops, she walks into the general store to buy some things for her…shack to make it feel more like a home. The man behind the counter stares at her, then his eyes sweep her up and down, seemingly judging her.

Riley walks up to the counter with a small smile and holds her hand out. “Hi, I’m Riley, the farmer who just moved in.”

“Ah, so you are. You’ve been the talk of the entire town for a full week.” The man shakes Riley’s hand, his grip tight. “I’m Pierre. You’re welcome to buy any and all seeds from here for every season. I’ll also buy everything you grow on your farm.”

Riley brings her hand back and puts it back in her pocket. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Well, I better get going. I’d like to meet everybody in town before sundown. It was nice to meet you.” She begins to turn around and head back to the front door.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Pierre replies with a curt nod.

Riley waves back. In the corner of her eye, she catches a door in the back open. A young woman with bright purple hair walks through the shelves and greets Pierre with a quiet “hey, Dad” and a small smile.

She looks at Riley with curious cerulean eyes and parted pink lips.

Riley falls in love on a warm spring morning, drowning in eyes the color of the sea in the middle of summer.

//

Next year’s spring, Riley relaxes into her couch, sighing as she settles into the cushions. It’s been a long day of harvesting crops, planting new seeds, and caring for her animals. She picks up a book from the side table.

Juniper, her beagle, places his snout on the cushion beside her with a low whine. She raises an eyebrow and he looks up at her with wide brown eyes. She smiles and pats her knee, holding her book up above her head. He takes the signal and leaps into her lap with an eager wag of his tail. She laughs and scratches behind his ears. His tail thumps against the cushions.

A knock on the door startles them out of their peace. Juniper leaps out of Riley’s lap. She grunts in pain. He barks at the door, his front paws clawing against the wood.

“Down, boy,” Riley says, leaning down to pat his head. He stops and stands behind her. She opens the door to see Abigail standing on her porch. “Abigail?”

She doesn’t immediately reply, instead answering with a sharp sniffle. She looks horrible. Her long purple hair is a tangled mess. Dried tear tracks run down her face. Her eyes are swollen and bloodshot.

“I’m sorry… I just had to get out of there, and I couldn’t go to Seb or Sam,” Abigail whispers. Her voice is hoarse like she’d been yelling. “Their parents would see and…” She cuts herself off with another sharp sniffle.

“Come inside. What happened?” Riley steps aside to let Abigail in. She shuffles her feet, toeing off her shoes by the welcome mat. Riley directs Abigail to the couch. “Do you want anything to drink? Tea? Coffee?”

“Tea, please. Thanks.” Abigail sits against the cushions. Juniper sits by her side, resting his head in her lap. She pets his head with a small smile. “Do you have green tea?”

“That, I do,” Riley replies, taking a box down from a shelf and taking out a little bag.

She sets the bag aside as she sets the kettle on the stove. She leans against the counter, her hands jammed in her pockets.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Abigail takes a deep breath, her hand slowing but still resting on Juniper’s head. “It’s my parents.”

Riley frowns. She knows about Abigail’s strained relationship with her parents. They’re always fighting, but as far as Riley knows, nothing is ever properly communicated between them. Things stay constantly tense even after the fights are long past. Riley feels like it’s all come to a head tonight.

“I know they mean well, but they never listen to what I have to say. I hate how they still think I can’t form my own opinions.” Abigail takes a deep, shaking breath.

Riley hums in response.

Abigail doesn’t look up from Juniper.

Riley wonders why Abigail would come here specifically. Sure, she’d consider Abigail a friend, but Abigail is better friends with Sebastian and Sam. Why didn’t she go to either of them? Why come all the way out here?

They sit in silence until the kettle begins whistling. Abigail jumps up. Riley turns around to pour the hot water into a mug and drops the bag into the water. She walks over to the couch and sits beside Abigail.

“I don’t know exactly what you’re going through, but I’m here to listen if you’d like,” Riley says as she hands Abigail the mug.

Abigail takes it into her pale hands, cradling it close. “Thank you.”

They sit in silence. Riley waits. She watches the trees rustle in the breeze outside her window. In the corner of her eyes, steam billows from the top of the mug. Abigail takes a quiet sip.

“They told me they couldn’t wait until I found a husband and give them some grandchildren,” Abigail eventually says. She sighs into the mug, frustrated but somehow resigned. “They kept going on and on about how I should look into settling down when I’m done with college.”

Riley turns to look at Abigail, her eyebrows raised. “Wow, that’s a load of bullshit.”

Abigail meets Riley’s eyes, her cerulean eyes igniting in anger. “That’s what I’m saying! I’m tired of them thinking I’m a robot that needs reprogramming.”

Riley hums in thought. She looks up at the wooden beams on her ceiling. “They shouldn’t have to dictate your entire life anymore. You’re an adult. You should be able to do whatever you want with your life as long as you aren’t harming other people.”

“You’re right.” Abigail goes quiet again as she looks into her tea. She turns the mug in her hands. She looks up at Riley again, her eyes glimmering with something Riley doesn’t recognize. “There’s…actually another reason I came here.”

And there it is.

Riley tilts her head to the side. “And what would that be?”

“Will you…” Abigail pauses and takes a deep breath, her eyes slipping closed. When she opens them again, there’s determination in her eyes. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Riley stares at Abigail, waiting for the punchline. When it doesn’t come, she clears her throat. “I’m sorry, what?”

Abigail seems undeterred. If anything, she looks even _more_ determined. “I don’t need a husband when I have a _girlfriend_.”

Riley smiles at Abigail, hoping to find some way to politely decline. “I don’t think that’s––“

“Think about it. It’ll be perfect, Riley,” Abigail insists. She sets the mug on the coffee table and takes Riley’s hands into her own. Her palms are soft and warm against the backs of Riley’s hands. “Please?”

Riley closes her eyes and sighs. She focuses on the way Abigail’s fingertips feel against her skin. This isn’t what she thought she’d be getting herself into when she moved into the valley, but it’s something interesting to cut through the boredom of farm life.

“Fine, but just for the rest of the season. At the _most_.”

Abigail beams, throwing herself at Riley.

//

Riley has a feeling that Pierre has hated her ever since she moved into Pelican Town, especially with the full tattoo sleeve and distinct butch appearance. If not that, she’s sure it’s a pretty strong dislike. So when, a week later, she walks into his store to buy more parsnip seeds, she avoids his pointed glare. She nods at him in greeting as the bells in the door jingle behind her, still keeping her eyes on the polished hardwood floor.

“Good morning.” Riley ducks into a row of shelves for seeds before he can reply. She counts twenty-four seed packets and heads to the counter.

“Is this all?” Pierre asks.

Riley nods.

Pierre calculates the price. Riley pays the amount. He smiles, but it’s strained. She scoops the packets into her hands and stuffs them into her backpack. The silence between them is tense and heavy enough to suffocate her.

“Thanks, come again,” Pierre says.

Riley hears the discomfort in his voice as she makes her way to the front. The door behind her swings open and eager footsteps bound up behind her.

“Riley!”

Abigail ducks beneath Riley’s arm, wrapping it around her shoulders. She looks up at Riley with a wide smile. She leans up on her toes to press a kiss against the side of Riley’s mouth. She twists around and waves at Pierre. “I’m going to hang out with Riley! Be back soon!”

Pierre mutters something Riley doesn’t hear.

In a town with just a little over thirty residents, gossip runs rampant, and within the week, everybody knows Abigail is dating Riley. There are whispers behind their backs, and quick glances that avert as soon as eyes meet.

If only they knew it was just for show.

Riley figures, as Abigail leans into her side, she’ll humor her for now.

“Oh man, you should have seen Dad’s face.” Abigail snickers. Her body shakes against Riley’s. “He is _pissed_.”

Riley hums. She wonders if Abigail is considering the consequences of this, how this is going to affect the entire town. Then again, they wouldn’t be doing this if either of them did.

“So, what brought you into Dad’s store today?” Abigail asks. She waves as they pass by Penny and the kids.

Riley notes how Penny smiles at them, friendly for Abigail and almost watchful for Riley. She notes how Penny ushers the kids faster up the stairs to the playground. “Parsnip seeds. Wanna help me plant?”

Abigail scrunches her nose, but she smiles. “Sure.”

When they reach Riley’s farm, Abigail heads straight to Juniper. Riley drops off her backpack on the porch and digs through it for the seeds. Meanwhile, Abigail croons and pets Juniper behind his ears.

“You’re just dating me for my dog, aren’t you?” Riley asks.

She notices the way Abigail freezes for a small second before turning to Riley with a mischievous smile. “How’d you find out?”

Riley shrugs. “Educated guess.” She holds up the packets. “Come on, wanna help or are you just gonna cuddle my dog all day?”

“It’s very tempting,” Abigail replies as she scratches behind Juniper’s ears again. She eventually stands up, patting the dust from her knees. “Alright, let’s get to planting.”

//

Caroline makes sure the entire town knows that her daughter is dating the local terrifying lesbian farmer. If not Caroline, then it’s Abigail implying all sorts of things by sticking to Riley’s side at every chance she gets.

The next day, Riley stops by Robin’s house to talk to her about upgrading her coop. They’re in the middle of discussing prices and supplies when Sebastian emerges from his cave of a bedroom. He climbs up the stairs, shuffling his feet past them towards the kitchen.

“Hey,” Riley says with a small wave. She half-expects Sebastian to completely ignore her, but he looks at her, squinting dark eyes, and waves back. Riley smiles and turns her attention back to Robin.

A few minutes later, Sebastian walks back through the hall with a mug of coffee in his hand. He pauses and turns to Riley. “Hey, what’s going on between you and Abigail?” It’s innocent enough, but Riley swears she hears a hint of an accusation laced behind his words.

“Um…” Riley turns to look at Sebastian. He raises an eyebrow, still waiting for her answer. She can feel Robin stare at the back of her head, expecting an answer just as much as he is. She feels her face begin to burn red. “We’re, uh… We’re dating.”

“Called it,” Sebastian says, gesturing to Robin with his mug. He steps down the stairs back into his room. “I’ll take that fifty gold.”

When Riley goes back to talk about the coop, she sees a disapproving smile on Robin’s face. She feels cold fear run through her, straight down her spine. She’s the closest to Robin out of all the older adults in the town, and she doesn’t want that to be ruined by _whatever_ might be going through Robin’s head.

“If you hurt her, I’m tripling everything you buy from me,” Robin says with piercing eyes. She lowers her voice and adds, “I also have an axe.”

Riley smiles, terrified of Robin because she knows that isn’t an empty promise. “I won’t hurt her, I swear.”

Robin pats Riley’s shoulder, heavy and threatening. “That’s good to hear. Now, for the price… I’d say about twenty thousand gold.”

That day, Riley finds out that Sebastian’s extra income comes from bets he makes with his mom, and Robin is _aggressively_ protective of the kids of Pelican Town.

//

“I had no idea Robin could be so scary,” Riley says, sitting next to Abigail in front of her TV. She flips through a comic book while Abigail tries to get past a level in a video game.

Abigail scoffs as she mashes the buttons on her controller. “She’s our resident carpenter. She was the scariest woman here before you came.”

Riley looks up from her book to look at Abigail. It’s not surprising to her. She’s over six feet tall, she has a full tattoo sleeve, and she’s still trying to grow out all her bleached hair. Even back in the city, people tended to avoid her. “People find me scary?”

Abigail pauses the game and turns to Riley with genuine concern in her face. “Oh, Riley, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to tell you like this. Did… Did you really not know?”

Riley laughs. “No, I did. It’s nice to know you care about me, though.”

Abigail elbows Riley in the side with a surprised laugh. “You’re unbelievable!”

“That’s a hard elbow,” Riley wheezes. She nudges Abigail. “Hey, why don’t we go somewhere?”

Abigail rolls her eyes before unpausing the game. “Like where? It’s raining, and there isn’t much to do in town in the first place.”

“The saloon?” Riley suggests.

Abigail scrunches her face. “Nobody’s actually there before five on a weekday, let’s be real.”

“How about the spa?”

“You just want to see me in a swimsuit,” Abigail says in a hushed voice. She leans into Riley’s side, still mashing buttons. “That’s sneaky.”

Riley won’t deny the way her heart skips a beat and how she likes the way Abigail’s hair smells like sweet peas. She realizes she wants to just stay by Abigail like this. It doesn’t matter where they are because she realizes she’s actually falling in love.

Riley panics a little bit, but she thinks she hides it well enough.

Abigail saves the game and turns off the TV. She stands up and holds a hand out to Riley. “Let’s go.”

“Oh, so we’re really going?” Riley puts her hands in Abigail’s and stands up. “I didn’t think you’d be up to that.”

Abigail smiles, squeezing Riley’s hand. “Going to the spa on a rainy day? Sounds like heaven.”

“Then, what are we waiting for?” Riley begins to pull away, but Abigail holds onto her hand.

Riley feels her pulse skyrocket.

Abigail grabs an umbrella from beside her bed and throws the door open. They walk out of her bedroom. When Riley turns to look at her side, she sees Caroline, Marnie, Jodi, Emily, and Robin standing by the fireplace. They stop talking and stare as Abigail pulls Riley across the hall. Riley smiles and waves at them. They wave back, confusion painting their faces. Abigail tugs Riley through the door leading into the store and continues tugging her until they’re out the door.

“Abigail, where are you two going? We’re going to be eating lunch soon!” Caroline calls out.

Riley turns around and sees Caroline stand in the doorway.

“I’m going out with Riley. I’ll eat lunch at her place,” Abigail replies without another glance back. “Don’t wait up for me.”

Caroline opens her mouth to reply, but she doesn’t, and only closes the door.

“Does that always happen?” Riley asks when they’re outside. They stand beneath the overhang as Abigail opens the umbrella.

“Sure.”

Riley looks at Abigail, her head tilted, but the look on Abigail’s face is indiscernible. If Riley looks hard enough, she begins to think maybe it’s anger. Her eyebrows are furrowed and her hand grips the umbrella handle hard enough for her knuckles to turn white. “What do you mean by that?”

“Look, it’s fine, okay?” Abigail says. She steps out into the rain, one hand holding the umbrella and the other one out to Riley. “Let’s just go.”

Riley sighs and steps under the umbrella beside Abigail. It isn’t nearly large enough to fit the both of them, but they make it work. _Make it work_ meaning they argue over who keeps hogging the umbrella. Riley’s left shoulder is soaking wet and she wrestles the umbrella out of Abigail’s hand because it keeps hitting the top of her head.

This is the first time Riley’s laughed so hard in a while.

By the time they make it to the spa, they’re nearly soaking wet. Abigail shivers in the locker room as she changes. She peels her shirt off, rubbing her arms as goosebumps prickle her skin. Riley quickly looks away and walks around the corner.

“So, what am I supposed to wear?” Riley calls out. There’s more clothes rustling, and she tries not to think about Abigail right at this moment.

“I have an extra swimsuit, if you’d like,” Abigail says, throwing her clothes on the bench behind her. Riley catches a glimpse of a bra before it falls off the pile to the floor. “My mom gave it to me, but I’ve never worn it before.”

“Really?” Riley opens an empty locker and stuffs her things inside. Abigail closes her locker and holds out a flowery one-piece swimsuit to Riley. When she looks over at Abigail, she wears an oversized shirt over her own bathing suit. Riley smiles, taking the swimsuit into her hands. “Thanks.”

Abigail smiles back as she gathers her hair into a loose bun. “I’ll be in the pool.”

Riley nods. Abigail walks toward the pool area. Riley stares at the swimsuit in her hand and sighs. What is she doing? What are _they_ doing? It’s been half a season already. Abigail’s relationship with her parents isn’t any better. If anything, it’s gotten worse.

Riley feels like she’s stuck in the middle, and she’s afraid that whatever she does, she’ll only make things worse.

After she changes and closes the locker, she heads out. Abigail floats in the water, staring at the ceiling. Her white shirt is soaked through, revealing a black two-piece swimsuit beneath. When Riley steps into the water, she closes her eyes, letting her stress just melt out of her. Why didn’t she come here earlier?

“You were right. This is heaven,” Riley sighs.

Abigail splutters and splashes around, struggling to get upright. When she finally calms down, she sinks down until just her head is visible above the water. “A little warning would have been nice.”

Riley raises an eyebrow and swims over to Abigail. “What’s wrong?”

Abigail shakes her head. She sinks lower until her entire head is submerged. Riley blinks and furrows her eyebrows. She spins around, trying to find Abigail in the water, but the entire surface ripples with bubbles, making it hard to see anything.

“Abigail?” Riley calls out.

Abigail pops up a few feet away with a smile. She pushes her hair out of her face. “What are you doing all the way over there?”

Riley laughs, splashing water in Abigail’s general direction.

Abigail smiles, but there’s something tense beneath it. Riley comes up beside Abigail, tilting her head. “Really, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Abigail replies. When she locks eyes with Riley, the smile slips from her face.

“You sure?” Riley asks. She holds onto Abigail’s shoulder.

Abigail sneers. “Yeah, I’m fine!” She stops and bites her bottom lip. She backs away from Riley, and the water ripples between them. “I just…don’t really like showing my body.”

Riley blinks. That didn’t even occur to her. She looks at Abigail and sees a hundred curves she’d like to explore. “Oh. I’m sorry. We didn’t _have_ to come here, you know.”

Abigail shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. I wanted to. Besides, this is better than staying in the house all day.”

“Well, okay then. I don’t know about you, but I came here to relax, so…” Riley leans backward until she’s floating on her back. She turns her head slightly to face Abigail. “Care to join me?”

A smile makes its way onto Abigail’s face, and it looks so carefree. There’s still a hint of uneasiness behind her eyes, but she eventually joins Riley.

Things might not be going according to plan, but Riley will keep this moment and every other moment like this.

//

Pierre snaps during the Flower Dance.

When the dance is over, Riley bows and Abigail curtsies. They’ll both admit the dress is a little old-fashioned, but it adds a softness to Abigail’s usual edge. She looks cute, and if Abigail blushes when she catches Riley staring with something loving in her eyes, neither of them say anything.

The crowd disperses and the dancers head off to change. Riley nudges Abigail with a grin. Abigail links their arms together as they follow the other women to change.

“That dress is ridiculous,” Riley whispers through the purple waves of hair.

Abigail snickers and picks up the skirt with her free hand. “Oh, you think I didn’t know that already? But I don’t need my girlfriend telling me that.”

Riley’s heart skips a beat, but she reminds herself that this is a show just as much as the dance is.

Pierre approaches and stands in front of them. “Abigail, can I talk to you? Alone?”

Riley begins to pull away because there’s an angry ferocity in Pierre’s eyes that she doesn’t want to get in between, but Abigail grips Riley’s arm tighter. She glances at Abigail and sees the same anger burning in Abigail’s eyes. Riley looks around, silently pleading for help, but nobody seems to be paying attention to her. All eyes are on Pierre and Abigail.

“I’m about to go change, Dad. Can it wait?” Abigail’s voice is surprisingly level.

“No. Now.”

Caroline comes up behind Pierre, placing a small hand on his bicep. “Honey…”

Abigail doesn’t move an inch from Riley’s side. “Well, what are you going to tell me?”

Riley sees everybody staring at them now. She just wants to fold in on herself.

“What are you doing?” Pierre asks.

Abigail furrows her eyebrows for a moment. “Excuse me?”

“When are you going to stop messing around with Riley? You can stop pretending now.”

“Who said I was pretending?” Abigail removes her arm from Riley’s to stand in front of Pierre. “I’m tired of you guys thinking I can’t make my own choices! I love you guys, but I also love Riley. Why can’t you accept this?”

“You know we only want what’s best for you,” Caroline says. There’s worry in her expression mixed with something that looks a lot like pity.

“I know!” Abigail shouts. She takes a deep breath before continuing. “I know…but that means nothing when you don’t… When you don’t…”

Riley grabs onto Abigail’s hand when she begins to falter and squeezes, if only to let her know that she isn’t alone.

“What’s the use of wanting what’s best for me when you don’t consider _my_ feelings when it’s _my_ life?” Abigail asks.

Pierre is speechless. Caroline still has her arm on his bicep. She pulls him back and he turns to look at her. They walk away, leaving Riley and Abigail standing in the middle of the clearing and crowd.

There’s a sour taste in Riley’s mouth and a heavy stone in the pit of her stomach.

Abigail turns to Riley, her eyes welling with tears that threaten to spill over, and Riley quickly leads her out of the clearing. When they’re out of sight, Riley pulls Abigail into her arms. She sobs into Riley’s shoulder and her hands come up to grip Riley’s jacket. She’s never seen Abigail come so undone before. It’s unsettling how her parents don’t see how they’re affecting her, or if they do see it, how they choose to ignore it.

“It’s just… It’s just so––“ Abigail’s voice cracks and she hiccups, her voice muffled in Riley’s shoulder.

“At least you told them,” Riley says. She knows it’s not the time nor the place, but she can’t help thinking about what Abigail said. _I love Riley_ like she meant it. _I love Riley_ like the time they spent together this whole season was… _real_. She tries to pull Abigail closer, and pushes the thought away. “At least you told them and hopefully they’ll listen.”

“But what if they don’t?”

“Then…” Riley doesn’t have an answer for that. Instead she says, “Don’t think about that right now. You did good today.”

“Doesn’t feel like it,” Abigail mutters.

Riley pulls away and holds Abigail at arm’s length. Her bow is askew and almost falling off her head. Her eyes are swollen and red, and dart around Riley’s face like she’s searching for an answer Riley isn’t even sure they know the question to.

“I’m proud of you for what you just did even if you don’t feel like it.” Riley squeezes Abigail’s shoulders. “Got it?”

Abigail stares at Riley before breaking down again. Her hand flies up to her mouth to muffle her sobs. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

Riley furrows her eyebrows in confusion, but she pulls Abigail closer anyway. “For what?”

Abigail trembles like an autumn leaf in the wind. This is so different from the usual Abigail she’s used to. The Abigail she knows doesn’t know vulnerability, doesn’t expose herself so easily, and doesn’t know when to give up. The Abigail in front of her is someone Riley doesn’t know.

“For using you,” Abigail whispers. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m––“

“I know. I’m sorry I let you.” Riley rests her chin on the top of Abigail’s head and looks up at the sky through the leaves. What else is she supposed to say?

They stand like that for what feels like forever. Riley watches the clouds pass by. She watches the sun move across the sky towards the horizon. She holds Abigail in her arms.

Abigail pulls away from Riley and takes a deep breath. She wipes her cheeks with her dress sleeve. “I shouldn’t have involved you. We should end this.”

Riley’s heart breaks on a spring afternoon. She’s still drowning in shimmering cerulean eyes. She doesn’t say anything because what’s the use in trying to save something that wasn’t there in the first place?

//

The town finds out about the “breakup” within the week. Sebastian and Sam flock to Abigail. Riley keeps to herself until the worst of it blows over. In a town this small, forgetting is easier said than done, and grudges are more common than she originally thought.

“We thought you’d stay together longer,” Robin says as she leans on the counter, her chin in her hand. “Personally, I thought you guys were cute. Abigail humanized you and you gave her life.”

Riley looks up from the window frames stacked on the floor, her eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Robin smiles. “You were terrifying when I first met you, but Abigail brought out a new side of you that no one has seen before. You were genuinely _smiling_ around her. You weren’t a monster anymore.”

“Gee, thanks,” Riley mutters, crossing her arms. She knew she was intimidating, but she didn’t realize it was _monster_ status.

Robin’s smile turns sheepish. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that… But, you two were obviously good for each other. Abigail was livelier when she was with you. It was easy to see you were the person she needed when she had problems with her parents.”

It’s easy for Riley to forget how tight-knit this community is.

“Well, she wanted to end it, so…” Riley trails off with a shrug. “It was her choice. I wasn’t about to tell her no.”

Robin sighs. “It’s _both_ of your choices. How do you feel about this?”

Riley almost snaps back with a sharp _What does it matter when it was never real in the first place_ , but she bites her tongue and gives Robin a strained smile. “When did you become my counselor?”

“I’m just giving you some advice. Believe it or not, a lot of people were rooting for you two.”

Riley picks up a basic window frame and sets it on the counter. “I’ll just get this.”

“Think about what I said,” Robin says as she calculates the price. “It’ll be three hundred gold.”

//

Riley thinks a lot over the next week. She thinks about the time she spent with Abigail. Is this something she wants to let go?

She lays on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Juniper comes up beside Riley, digging his head beneath her arm. She lifts her arm, and he settles against the side of her ribs.

“What do you think I should do, huh?” Riley asks, looking down at Juniper. He looks up at her and huffs. She looks back to the ceiling with a sigh. “Great answer.”

The last thing she wants is to ruin a friendship that’s already coming apart at the seams, but she doesn’t want to live with the regret of _what if_.

Riley sits up. Juniper stares at her, and she pets his head. “I gotta go. I’ll be back soon.”

Riley pulls her door open and before she can walk down the steps, she sees someone approach. She squints into the dim light and realizes it’s Pierre.

“Good evening,” Riley says. She crosses her arms above her chest as Pierre stops at the steps. “Can I help you with something?”

Pierre’s eyes stay glued to the cobblestone path. He takes a deep breath and looks up at Riley. “I…came here to apologize.”

That isn’t something Riley expected, but she tries to keep her face as neutral as possible. “Is that so?”

“Yes. I’ve come to realize that Abigail isn’t a little girl anymore. I’m sorry I implied you weren’t good enough for her,” Pierre says.

Riley narrows her eyes. “Well, I accept your apology. I get you just want what’s best for her.”

“Yes, but I ignored her every time. I was so worried about raising her…correctly that I didn’t pay attention to how she felt about the way I was raising her.”

Riley tilts her head. Maybe their plan really did work. She’s not sure how they did it, but it worked. “I’m glad you were able to sort that out, but… Do you know where Abigail is?”

Pierre blinks. Riley knows she’s being a little short with Pierre, but he’ll have to excuse her, especially after he treated her like shit because it’ll take her some time to fully accept his apology, and she’s in a bit of a rush.

“Oh, I saw her with Sebastian. I think I heard them talking about the lake by the mountain?” Pierre replies.

Riley locks her front door and takes off in a sprint to the mountain path. “Thanks, Pierre. Good night!”

If Pierre says something else, Riley doesn't hear it because she's already entering the path to the mountain. When Linus’ fire pit and yellow tent come into view, she almost sobs in joy. She rounds the cliff and sees Abigail standing at the lake’s edge with Sebastian beside her.

“Abby,” Riley calls out. She’s still trying to catch her breath. She leans on her knees as her lungs struggle to pull in enough air.

Abigail turns around. Riley looks up to see confusion on Abigail and Sebastian’s faces. She walks towards Riley, placing a cold hand on Riley’s shoulders.

“Riley? What are you doing here?” Abigail asks.

Sebastian taps Abigail’s shoulder and points a thumb to the other side of the lake, his other hand taking his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. “I’ll be over there if you guys need me.”

Abigail nods and turns back to Riley. “What’s going on?”

“I realized something earlier,” Riley says. She gulps in the warm summer air. She stands straight and takes Abigail’s hands into her own. “I know that I was never really your girlfriend in the beginning, but I’d like to be.”

Abigail stares at Riley, eyes wide and unblinking.

Riley can’t read the expression on Abigail’s face, but she searches for an answer anyway.

When Abigail smiles and squeezes Riley’s hands in her own, Riley blinks, trying to figure out what’s happening while her mind swims in a breathless haze.

“Why do you think I chose you to be my fake girlfriend in the first place?” Abigail asks.

Riley stares into Abigail’s cerulean eyes that glimmer in the faint firelight and realizes she was never drowning. She’s been staring at a cloudless summer sky, floating on her back in the middle of the ocean.

**Author's Note:**

> here's another fake relationship fic like you've read it a million times before


End file.
